Vegan Lebanese Green Bean Stew

Ingredients:

For the Loubyeh:

• 2 lbs fresh or frozen green beans (flat and wide green beans are traditional, but thin French green beans work well too)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 40 oz tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes (your choice)
• Salt, to taste
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• Juice of 5 lemons

For the Vermicelli Rice:

• 1. 3 tbsp olive oil

  2. 1/4 cup vermicelli noodles

  3. 1/2 tsp salt

  4. 1 cup jasmine rice

  5. 1 3/4 - 2 cups boiled water

Method For the Vermicelli Rice:

1. Begin by heating a medium sized pot on a medium-low flame with the olive oil.

2. Add the vermicelli noodles and stir constantly to brown evenly and prevent burning. It should take between 1 minute and 1 1/2 minutes for this to happen.

3. Add the salt and Jasmine rice to the pot and stir constantly. Allow all of the grains of rice to get coated with oil and to touch the bottom of the pan. Stirring is key here. One minute should be enough.

4. Add the boiled water to the pot, cover with the lid and drop the temperature to low. Allow the water to evaporate. This should take 10-12 minutes.

5. Remove the lid and taste a grain of rice once the water has evaporated. If it is too mushy, turn the heat off, remove the lid and set aside. If it is still too hard to eat, add 1/4 cup of additional water, add the lid and let the water evaporate. Retest once the water is gone and add another 1/4 cup if it still needs time. If the grain is just shy of being perfectly cooked, turn the heat off, keep the lid on and let the steam continue to cook the rice to perfection. This should take about 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Vermicelli Rice: Follow the recipe to make the vermicelli rice.

2. Cook the Loubyeh:

   • In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions, and cook until they become fragrant and translucent.
   • Add the green beans and diced tomatoes to the pot. Stir well, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes to allow the green beans to start tenderizing.
   • Pour in the tomato sauce (or crushed tomatoes), stir to combine, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let the mixture simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   • Once the green beans are tender and well-steeped in the sauce, season with salt, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice. Cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

3. Serve: Remove from heat and serve the loubyeh with the prepared vermicelli rice. For a complete meal, add a plate of fresh veggies such as radishes, bell peppers, and jalapenos. Enjoy!